|
Wrongly Convicted Database Record
|
Charge: |
First Degree Murder and Attempted Murder |
Sentence: |
Life Imprisonment without possibility of parole |
Years Imprisoned: |
23 |
Year Crime: |
1994 |
Year Convicted: |
1995 |
Year Cleared: |
2017 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Illinois |
County or Region of Crime: |
Cook |
City of Crime: |
Chicago |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated Released |
Summary of Case: |
"Roberto Almodovar (aka Jasmyn Almodovar) and co-defendant William Negron were wrongly convicted in 1994 of a double murder in Chicago, Illinois in 1994. The prosecution of Almodovar and Negron was based on eyewitness reports obtained in part by Chicago Police Department Detective Reynaldo Guevara. After their convictino by a jury both men were sentenced to life in prison. After years in prison, Guevara's credibility came under scrutiny because of allegations he coerced witnesses and framed innocent people in dozens of cases. Almodovar and Negron filed a petition for a new trial based on the evidence that Guevara's investigation couldn't be relied on. An evidentiary hearing regarding the petition ended on April 10, 2017. Two days later the Cook County State's Attorney's Office announced it was no longer "in the best interests of justice" to proceed with prosecuting Almodovar and Negron. On April 14, 2017 the State's Attorney's Office's motion to dismiss the charges was granted, and Almodovar was released later that day. Negron remained imprisoned on his murder conviction in an unrelated case from the early 1990s. When Almodovar was released his attorney talked to reporters, and condemned the legal "system that allows wrongful convictions to happen and then get covered up."" |
Conviction Caused By: |
"Perjury by witnesses coerced by Chicago Police Department Detective Reynaldo Guevara. Guevara fabricated testimony and evidence to implicate suspects in a crime that included diecting witnesses who to pick out of a lineup, and extracting false confessions by beatings and torture. As of November 2019, 14 men had their convictions overturned and charges dismissed or acquitted after a retrial due to Guevara's criminal conduct: Juan Johnson in 2004; Jacques Rivera in 2011; Jose Montanez and Armando Serrano in July 2016; Robert Almodovar and William Negron in April 2017; Jose Maysonet in November 2017; Gabriel Solache and Arturo DeLeon-Reyes in December 2017; Thomas Sierra in January 2018; Ariel Gomez in February 2018; Ricardo Rodriguez in March 2018; Robert Bouto in June 2018; and, Geraldo Iglesias in January 2019." |
Innocence Proved By: |
"Almodovar and Negron filed a petition for a new trial based on the evidence that Guevara's investigation couldn't be relied on. An evidentiary hearing regarding the petition ended on April 10, 2017. Two days later the Cook County State's Attorney's Office announced it was no longer "in the best interests of justice" to proceed with prosecuting Almodovar and Negron. On April 14, 2017 the State's Attorney's Office's motion to dismiss the charges was granted, and Almodovar was released. Negron remained imprisoned on his murder conviction in an unrelated case." |
Defendant Aided By: |
Attorney Jennifer Bonjean |
Compensation Awarded: |
"$226,500 (State of Illinois, 2018)" |
Was Perpetrator Identified? |
|
Age When Imprisoned: |
18 |
Age When Released: |
41 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
Hispanic |
Information Source 1: |
"Inmate freed from jail after judge throws out double murder conviction, By Megan Crepeau (Reporter), Chicago Tribune, April 14, 2017" |
Information Location 1: |
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-murder-charges-dismissed-released-from-jail-met-20170414-story.html |
Information Source 2: |
|
Information Location 2: |
|
Information Source 3: |
|
Information Location 3: |
|
Information Source 4: |
|
Information Location 4: |
|
Information Source 5: |
|
Information Location 5: |
|
Book About Case: |
|
Book Information: |
|
Book About Case (2): |
|
Book Information (2): |
|
Movie About Case: |
|
Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org